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Philippe Villayn II
Philippe Villayn II Philippe Villayn II (born 26th of June 2519) is the third and current Emperor of Alduria, the son of former Emperor Philippe Villayn I, and grandson of both the first Emperor John Stuart and the Last President, Danan Villayn. He is also the son-in-law of Emperor William III of Luthori. During his reign, Alduria has become one of the great powers of Terra, mainly due to the stability endured after the establishment of the Imperial Government, a coalition consisting of five to seven parties. He is the forth-longest serving Head of State of Alduria (the three others being Birgitta Nagako, Philippe Villayn I and James I). At age 20 when coronated, he is also one of the youngest heads of state of Alduria. Birth and Background 2519-2539 During the turbulent years of his father's contested reign, Philippe the younger together with empress Theodora was invited to stay as refugees in the Holy Imperial Court of William III. The young prince received the main part of his diplomatic and military education in the Holy Luthori Empire, and have always had a close connection with the people and culture of that nation. At the age of 14-20, Philippe served as the minister of the interior in the Imperial Diet of the Luthori Empire, and some years before his ascension into throne, he married the only daughter of the Emperor of Luthori, Mary, thus further strengthening the legitimacy of the Villayns. In the spring of 2539, upon receiving news about the worsening conditions of his father, Philippe left Luthori with his wife and travelled back to Alduria where he quickly took the reins of government. Early Reign and the War with the AF 2539-2543 The Imperial Coalition had won a devastating victory in the Aldurian elections of 2538, and Philippe Villayn II was thus offered more opportunities to govern and have a political impact on Alduria, than his father ever had. But the resounding victory disheartened the opposition, and strengthened extremist forces wanting to utilise the perceived weakness and inexperience of the young Emperor. The Alduria First was a nationalist and religiously fundamentalist right-wing extremist organisation, which in the summer of 2539 threatened the citizens of City d'Aldur with a stolen nuclear bomb. The Aries suits provided by the Romefeller Foundation were put to the test for the first time, and managed to avert the crisis, but the AF, operating from the eastern parts of Zanyal Valley, had used the late years of the previous Emperor to build up a significant striking force, and the early reign was seen as a turbulent time, with a temporary introduction of martial laws. Consolidation of government 2543-2561 After the AF had been defeated, peace and stability had been established over all of Alduria, and the system of government was consolidated into the Imperial Alliance, which developed from a loose coalition to the most stable governmental system in the history of Alduria, guaranteeing a vertical two thirds majority in every election between 2542 and until now. Domestic Policy 2539- Philippe Villayn II is not considered to be a political reformer, but a cautious consolidator. Instead of micro-managing the Empire, the Emperor has mostly left the day-to-day governance and administration to politicians and advisors who rose to prominence during his father's reign. But while the Emperor is trusting towards His advisors, it does not mean that he is considered meek. On the contrary, when the Emperor has wanted to achieve something, it has generally been approved by the Imperial Senate, something which has fuelled the criticism of an "enlightened authoritarianism", "authoritarianism with silk gloves", or "veiled despotism". The Imperial Government is allowed to more or less do what it wants with the budget and social policies of the Empire, but the Emperor has not kept silent when he approves or disapproves with public policies. The Emperor has averted criticism from the opposition though, by being generally more socially progressive than his senior advisors. During the more recent decades of his reign, the emperor has taken a more active stance in social and political issues, formulating a series of legislation proposals known as the "Emperor's Reforms", but these attempts have not been so very successful. Since the ascension of Mary of Orange to the Luthori Throne in 2575, the Emperor has also been the Empress-consort of Luthor. Philippe Villayn II has sometimes been called the "Tiger of Seleya". War of Luthori Succession 2561-2566 The Emperor was the first one to react during the constitutional crisis in the Holy Luthori Empire, when privy counsellor Gordon Beige by an extra session in the Imperial Diet managed to acquire a mandate to overthrow the Luthori Emperor. Deeming this unacceptable for monarchism around Terra and in conflict with previously existing treaties between Alduria and Luthori, Philippe Villayn II and Prime Minister Fredérick Varanzý assembled a coalition of monarchies to restore the constitutional framework of Luthori Succession, thus triggering the War of Luthori Succession. The war has shown that the Aldurian Empire has turned into a military colossus, which is able to excert its influence far away from its immediate sphere, but also poises a challenge to the image of the Emperor as a liberal father of the nation, and no one yet knows how the popularity of the regime will be affected by the war. Despite heavy losses (110,000 men), the Aldurian population showed commitment to the cause of war. Alduria scored a military and political victor in the war, showing that it was ready to defend its allies. Squibble During the lordship of Prime Minister Fredérick Varanzý, a treaty was signed with the Beitenyu over the division of the Barbarian Continent of Squibble, as Alduria bought several colonies, which has been partially brought under Aldurian control in the 2570;s. Criticism Domestic criticism has during a long time been directed rather at the advisors and imperialist senators than the Emperor himself, who enjoys a considerable amount of support even from Aldurians who are critical of the structure of the regime. Philippe Villayn II is rarely seen as a dictator, and the Aldurian constitution holds no supports of that assertion. But given the total dominance of the Imperial Alliance in the Senate, the Emperor stands virtually unchallenged and could in practice be considered an autocrat. The opposition claims that the Emperor holds an approval-rating of 47%, while the Imperial Government claims that He enjoys a full 77% approval rating. International criticism has emerged during the War of Luthori Succession, which is seen by the public in liberal democracies as an overt aggression against an emerging republic, or alternatively as an imperialist war. Family The Emperor and the Empress enjoys a rich family life, and are fond of skiing, water-sports and boule. They have four children. Philippe Villayn III is the main heir to both the Aldurian and the Luthori throne, has a younger brother named Henri. Also the two twins, Relena and Michel Villayn, and the youngest Florence Villayn. It is said that the Imperial Family are speaking English rather than French at private. Philippe is fluent in both English, French, Gaelic, and Latin. The Emperor is deeply religious and is a member of the Church of Alduria. During his reign, he has supported secular policies. Category:Aldurian people